The Village Council recently voted to place on the November ballot the question of whether the Village should engage in electric aggregation. Electric aggregation is the process by which the Village would negotiate a bulk price on the electric commodity for its residents and small businesses. Individual consumers would then decide if they wanted to opt-out of the Village negotiated price and continue to provide for their own electric supplies. If approved by the voters, residents would see no change in their electric services. Duke Energy would continue to carry, service, and bill for the electric service.

Village residents will see the following language on their ballots this November:

‘Shall the Village of Moscow, County of Clermont, Ohio have the authority to aggregate the retail electric loads located in the Village and enter into service agreements to facilitate for those loads the sale and purchase of electric, such aggregation to occur automatically except where any person elects to opt-out?

Officials have placed this issue on the ballot to give the Village the authority to aggregate. This is a completely voluntary program. Residents will be given the choice to opt-out of the program if they do not wish to participate.

What is Energy Choice?

Before competition was introduced, homes and businesses purchased their energy supply with the local utility company (Duke Energy).

In 1999, the Ohio General Assembly passed Senate Bill 3, which began the process of energy deregulation in Ohio. Under the deregulated system, consumers in many areas of Ohio now have the freedom to choose their own energy supply and energy provider and to pursue pricing options and plans that may be lower and more strategic than what your utility currently offers.

Duke Energy will ensure that your energy supply is safely delivered to your home, track your energy usage, maintain the infrastructure, and service all equipment, such as meters, wires and pipelines, and will respond to any power outages. If you are facing a power outage or other problems, Duke Energy will still be still your first point of contact. The contact number for Duke Energy is provided on your electricity bill.

Of course, you are not required to switch to a new energy supplier. The point of Energy Choice is to know other options exist.

SCAM ALERT

Door-to-door solicitors are everywhere and the phone calls to buy energy seem to never end. Don’t be fooled by these offers. Some salespeople may display a solicitor’s permit from or official looking badge. THE PERMIT IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT and the badge may be misleading. They may claim they work with Duke Energy or XYZ Energy company and offer rates far below anything you presently are receiving. Please do not show them your Duke Energy bill. Also, beware of robo-calls and phone solicitors claiming that “your Duke account has been flagged for review.” This is also a scam by an unethical broker or supplier designed to mislead you.

If you have questions, don’t hesitate to close the door on the scammers and call your local officials.